


Cyn

by MultiVerSonalityDisorder



Series: Captain Cold/Leonard Snart AUs [7]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Adrenaline kink, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Leonard and Mick Share a Chick, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 01:28:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16075511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultiVerSonalityDisorder/pseuds/MultiVerSonalityDisorder
Summary: Leonard Snart and Mick Rory were partners. Cynthia "Cyn" Barber was their woman. She went everywhere with them. Of course this would include a mission through time and space.





	1. Cynthia Barber

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing, but I did create Cynthia "Cyn" Barber.

She went everywhere with them. Well, maybe not everywhere. She was never found out in the field or with them during a job, but she was always waiting for them to return to the hideout. She’d be with them on the run and it was a fun life. It wasn’t the easiest life, but it was fun. They had each other. They had the thrill. Even if things didn’t always work out in their favor.

It was no surprise to Leonard Snart or Mick Rory when the rest of the Legend wannabes were confused as to why she showed up. They had no idea who she was as she wasn’t even present when Rip Hunter had pulled them all together the previous night. They stood their ground, crossing their arms and attempting to refrain from smirking at the situation.

“Excuse me,” Rip seemed perturbed as he gestured to the woman. “Mr. Snart, Mr. Rory, would you be so kind as to explain your…friend?”

“I have a name, thank you,” she crossed her own arms as well. Her hip cocked to the side as it was hugged by a pair of faded jeans, tucked into knee high boots with thick souls and thin lacing. A white shirt was covered by her long sleeved open-front black cardigan, and her auburn waves sat light on her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright icy blue, and her lips a light pink. “Cynthia Barber.”

The time traveler seemed to pause before shaking his head, “Ms. Barber, I don’t know what these two are putting you up to, but I can’t allow you on my shi – ”

“She comes with us,” Mick nearly snarled.

“That’s right,” Leonard nodded coolly. “Cynthia tags along or you can count us out.”

There were looks from the rest of the group. None of them had heard a mention of this woman before now. Did Captain Cold and Heat Wave kidnap her? She seemed to be as amused by this as they were. Was this a prank? Were they really being, as Ray had put it, “punked”?

“I _cannot_ allow a civilian on my ship,” Hunter stressed.

“Even if I carry some assets that can be of use to you on your trip?” Cynthia rose a daring brow in her query.

“And, what pray tell are you referring to?”

“I’m a healer. If you’re all out to fight an immortal psychopath, then you’ll need someone accessible to assist you, won’t you? I’m happy to lend my services in exchange for joining the team. I don’t expect to just be taking up space, I’ll work for my room.”

“Your decision, Captain Hunter,” Captain Cold flicked his wrist in the man’s direction. “We’re a package deal.”

Cynthia felt her confidence growing along with the vexation in the Brit’s eyes, “Well, Oliver Twist?”

Inhaling slowly, Rip held it as he made one final pointed thought in his head, then released, “Fine. Come along. All of you.”

**-**


	2. Yes or No, Stay or Go

“Thank you so much, Cynthia,” Kendra smiled with wet eyes at the red-haired woman as they stood just outside the medical bay. Carter was behind her, hand squeezing her shoulder as he also smiled at the healer. She had saved their son from his wound after their run in with Chronos, and now he was sleeping peacefully.

Cynthia smiled back, shaking her head, “It’s nothing. I’m just glad I could help. Let him rest for a few hours and then he’ll be as good as new.” There was another whispered “thank you” before the woman turned and left. Her hips swinging as she walked down the hall. When she turned the corner, she paused to lean against the wall and sighed. She glanced at her hand that braced her and cursed at the sight of it trembling. She wasn’t as fatigued as she had been the one time Mick returned nearly bled out, but the professor’s wound was worse than she expected and she had to change her intensity midway to help him successfully.

She clenched her fist and continued down the hall. She made one more turn and was surprised when she walked into a familiarly strong arm before being pressed into a familiarly strong chest.

“Leonard,” icy blues turned upward to see his subtly smirking face as he pressed their fronts together. She froze for a second, then nearly rolled her eyes. “Really?”

“What can I say? The adrenaline gets me going,” he sneered. He leaned in to press his lips to hers, but she pulled back. Confused, he rose a cautious brow, “Cyn?”

“Where’s Mick?”

“Cargo bay,” he murmured and attempted another kiss, but was thwarted once more when she kept out of his reach. He snarled, not in the mood to be denied and he spoke his words slowly, “Cynthia, explain or – ” He paused when she placed a hand on his shoulder. Even through his thick parka, he could sense she was trembling.

“I’m a little tired,” she whispered softly.

Cyan-like orbs narrowed, “You healed the Hawk Brat?”

“I’m fine, I just need some time,” Cynthia insisted. “Besides…shouldn’t you be more concerned about what to do now? You’re not legends after all. Does that mean the three of us are going back?”

Leonard sighed. He pulled her in once more, gently guiding her head to lean against his chest, and he rested his chin atop her crown. While he kept one arm wrapped around her back, his other hand rubbed between her shoulder blades slowly and firmly, making Cynthia’s eyes close, “Not sure. There was some talking back in the bay before I left to find you. We can head back, unless you want me to find you a bed.”

A small laugh slipped softly from the redhead’s lips, “Find _us_ a bed?”

Captain Cold chuckled, “Not until you have a little more energy to spare. Here,” he maneuvered them so her arm was holding his waist across his back, and he had an arm tight around her shoulders. Her head rested against the cushion of his sleeved arm. “We’ll go find Mick. Sound good?”

“Yeah,” she smiled softly as he began to lead them in the direction of the cargo bay and her feet followed with him in his slow pace as if walking on air. “That sounds good.”

Leonard smiled softly as he noticed her eyes closing once again. Her legs were on autopilot, but he could feel the way her arm shook around him. He knew he okayed the idea of her being on the ship and helping with a few scratches here and there, but he and Mick will have to keep both eyes open and make sure nobody will be trying to push Cynthia too hard. She had her limits, and she didn’t always see them. They’re just going to have to be more attentive than they thought.

**-**


	3. Nice Boys And Girls

Leonard’s eyes flickered to her as he headed off the bridge. She was startled by Mick’s large hand on the small of her back, leading her out as well as she found herself suddenly matching his pace to catch up with their teammate and friend. Cynthia could only imagine that they were heading to their quarters to change out of their disguises for the auction into their work clothes. Their normal clothes. She kept quiet, not attempting a question as the both of them were obviously perturbed by the recent events. The kidnapping was botched, the future and their present was in danger, they had to fix it, and now they had to go get this stupid ancient dagger that was supposed to be able to kill a man who was able to obtain a nuclear weapon. Not to mention they had to take Raymond Palmer with them.

A man who was very vocal about not trusting them. A man who made Cynthia’s fingers twitch with the want to form into a fist and land in his gut. Leonard had insisted that the scientist wasn’t worth it. She still wasn’t quite convinced.

“Which way are you going, Cyn?”

She blinked out of her thoughts, eyes on her men as they stared at her expectantly. The two of them had to go to their separate quarters, and now Cyn had to choose with who she was going to get with. She paused, uncertain after Leonard’s question. “I’ll just…stay out here,” she finally murmured.

That caught both men off guard. Mick rose a brow, “You sure?”

Cynthia nodded, “Yeah. I’m just…feeling a little weird about this. I think I’ll just take a walk or something.”

“Hey,” Heat Wave’s hand – which at some point left her lower back – reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, “you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she couldn’t believe that she actually almost retracted her hand from Mick’s grasp. She stilled, eyes darting around and not quite landing on either of them. “I think.”

She could feel Leonard’s eyes on her as he walked up to her, both of them just about looming over her with their infuriatingly alluring height, “That’s not very convincing. You have something on your mind?”

“We don’t have time, boss,” Rory reminded him in a matter of fact manner. They didn’t have the time to dawdle.

Leonard sighed, “Cynthia, if something’s bothering you, you have to tell us now, or it’ll have to be later. Mick’s right, we need to be getting out of here.”

“Then, I’ll talk to you later,” she slipped out of Mick’s grasp, but he didn’t pursue her as she took a few steps back. “I’ll just wait for you two out here.” She attempted to smile despite the nervous energy that was floating around them all. “Kinda sucks though. I don’t usually get to see you two half-naked at the same time. Maybe one day, though.”

Snart could easily tell that she was trying to change the subject by bringing up an old running joke that belonged to the three of them. He decided for now he would play along with it and he shook his head with a subtle roll of his eyes, “We keep telling you it’ll never happen.”

Cynthia’s lips quirked, happy that Leonard understood what she wanted. She pushed, “You know my biggest dream in this life is to have the two of you at the same time. You really don’t think you’ll ever let me have that?”

Mick was quick to pick up on the change in topic and found himself joining in. He smirked, hands going into his pant pockets, “Never gonna happen, Cyn.”

The woman sighed, “I guess I’ll just have to keep it in my fantasies for when you two go out at night.”

“You do that,” Leonard gave a small chuckle as he reached an arm around her waist for a half hug. He kissed her cheek, just below her eye, and she was quick to return it before she found his lips. One hand gripped at the back of his shirt tightly before it relaxed and slipped down to his hips. He was smiling down at her in his devilish way that always made her heart skip even after they spent more than two decades together.

Cold pulled back, giving Mick an opportunity to do the same on Cynthia’s other side. Heat Wave gave a small hum as he kissed her cheek, arm wrapping around, and hand slinking down to cup and squeeze firmly at a buttock.

Cynthia gave a small squeak of surprise. She exhaled a laugh, lightly tapping Mick’s shoulder in good nature as she kissed his grinning lips. His hand slid up her back, beneath her shirt and letting his hot fingers caress her spine. She sighed softly, teeth instinctively nipping at his bottom lip and making him chuckle darkly.

Leonard rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he turned on his heel. “All right, you two,” he drawled as he slowly stepped away. “Don’t be there too long. We have a busy night ahead of us.” He paused after being a yard away, then looked over his shoulder to see neither of them had attempted to pull away from the other and instead Mick was fiddling with undoing Cynthia’s bra strap from beneath her shirt. “Cynthia. Mick.” His voice was sterner this time, not quite appreciating that his teammates were only furthering their shenanigans.

Thankfully, Cynthia took the hint and pulled back just before Mick accomplished his goal. She was laughing nervously, face flushed as she pushed at the taller man’s chest. Mick gave a grunt of disapproval, but sighed when he realized how distracted he’d gotten.

“Sorry,” she murmured, glancing over at Leonard who turned his frown into a small smile to assure he wasn’t angry with her. She gave a tiny nervous smile of her own before pecking Mick’s lips one last time and stepping back. She cleared her throat. “I think I’ll go to the bridge. I’ll wait for you guys there.”

“Got your knife on you?” Mick inquired with a lowered voice in case someone was walking near.

The woman gave him a knowing look. With a flick of her wrist, she showed both Leonard and Mick her collapsed pocket knife as she pulled it from the waistband of her jeans. “I’m good, don’t worry,” she insisted.

“That’s our girl,” Rory sneered in delicious glee.

“Try to stay out of trouble,” Leonard smirked. “At least until we get back.”

“Oh, you know I will,” Cynthia returned Leonard’s smirk as she hid the knife back in its place. “See you boys, soon.”

Leonard gave a wink, and a small wave of his hand. Mick raised a few fingers in his parting. The door to his quarters opened and he disappeared, and Leonard began his stroll down to his room. Cynthia sighed, trying to calm herself. She had a feeling she couldn’t fight off in the pit of her stomach. Something was going to happen. It was only a matter of time.

**-**


	4. Today Was Not The Day, But It Could Have Been

“Cynthia?”

The blue-eyed woman blinked, noticing how her body was frozen in place. She was standing in Mick’s room, the large man sitting at the edge of his bed as she was healing the cut on his head that Savage gave him.

Savage.

Her skin crawled and blood went cold at the thought of his name. The man killed Carter, and nearly killed Kendra. Her body was so damaged that Cynthia couldn’t help her. Not without exhausting herself to the point that she could die in her place. It was just too much for her abilities and that made her feel…practically useless. Mick needed her, though. It was just a cut, but at least she could _do_ something about it.

“Cyn?”

“Sorry,” her thumb swept over where the wound vanished. Cynthia could feel the sweat rub off of Mick’s brow, and she leaned down to place a kiss just there. “I’m a little distracted.”

“Hey,” his large rough hands gripped her sides, dark eyes looking up at her, “if this is about Carter, you couldn’t have done anything. He was dead in the field.”

Her hands fell to cover Mick’s and bright eyes became dull as they met his gaze. “I think that’s…what’s bothering me,” she murmured softly. The man rose a brow, obviously confused by her words. He didn’t need to say that, though. She understood. “I think it’s about time I went out into the field with you guys.”

“No.”

“Mick – ”

“No.”

“Mick!”

“Cyn,” Mick growled, grip on her sides tightening, “you _can’t_. We’ve gone over this before.”

“Things are _different_ now,” she insisted, face twisting as she grew upset. Her voice was straining, “If I was there, Carter could have lived. If I’m not out there with you guys and something like that happens to you I wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing.”

“Cyn,” his hands moved to grab her face, keeping their eye contact steady, “you can’t be out there. If you’re out there, me and Leonard won’t be able to stay focused.”

Cynthia inhaled, pausing her breath as tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. Her hands grabbed the back of Mick’s knuckles as she replied, “I don’t know what else to do.”

“You wait here for us, just like always.”

A few tears spilled rapidly, but quickly ceased. A thick thumb attempted to wipe some away before Mick pulled her face down to wrap his lips around hers. He could taste the salt of her tears, and he could feel her trembling beneath his fingers. Almost instinctively, her knees found the mattress. Cynthia found herself straddling Mick’s lap, his lips massaging hers, and her hands sliding to his shoulders. Her arms quickly wrapping around his neck while she was hovering above his thighs. Then, his teeth were on her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth willingly.

Mick’s tongue swiped hers, her teeth were on his upper lip, and then the corner of his mouth before the tip of her tongue teased it. His hands moved to her hips, pulling her down so his pelvis met the apex of her thighs, their abdomens close, and her breasts brushed his chest. She pulled back, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, letting him kiss down to where the collar of her shirt was.

His hands slipped up under her shirt and when the shirt was stuck beneath her arms he whispered hotly against her ear, “Arms up.” Cynthia shook her head, and Heat Wave found himself frowning. “Cyn, don’t stop, now.”

“Mick,” she rose her head, looking at him with tears still in her eyes, face red and damp, “this is it. I don’t want to lose this. Don’t you get it? It’s easy for you and Leonard to say I should stay, but if something happens you two are the ones who are gone. You won’t have to hold onto the memories like I will. You won’t be the ones to miss this.” Her soft hands found their way to the back of Mick’s neck, one sliding up to tease the fuzz of his scalp. She leaned in, kissing his cheek before teasing the lobe of his ear with her teeth with the slightest nip that had him flinching and releasing a small grunt. She ground gently against his pelvis, hardening and heating up beneath her. “Things are much more serious,” she breathed against his flesh. “The threats are much more real. Don’t you see?”

Heat Wave snarled. His blood boiling with the need to let off the steam from his failure with Savage earlier and the frustration of Cynthia’s proposal. He picked her up, rolled them both over so she was on her back on the bed, head by the pillow as he hovered above her between her knees. He gave one hard grind against her core, and her back arched slightly off the mattress as her eyes fought from closing shut. Her nails attempted to dig into his shirt, but he pulled away and slipped it off, throwing it to the floor. Her eyes on his muscles and scars, her fingers gently traced what covered his arms. She remembered when that happened.

A job went wrong, but Mick never came back. He and Leonard were at odds – as they were at times – and so Leonard was the only one who returned to the hideout. She couldn’t heal them once the scars settled in, but thankfully he didn’t seem to mind it. It was upsetting when they weren’t both “home”, but as they grew older and more complicated there would be months when one would be on a job or they wouldn’t be on speaking terms due to one not ending well. Neither were very good at taking the blame on those things, but Leonard was always the one most willing to learn from his mistakes. She hated those times. When she was alone with whoever stayed.

Not that Cynthia didn’t enjoy her time with that one, but not having both of them made her feel so incomplete. Working with the Legends could very well be what keeps them together the longest for the first time in years.

“Mick,” she breathed as he was undoing her jeans, but she wasn’t stopping him. He yanked them down to her knees, revealing a cherry red lace thong. His mouth latched onto her thigh, teeth teasing her flesh alive and creating goosebumps in his path upwards. He could feel her tensing as he got higher, and just before he met the joint of her pelvis he pulled away. He slipped further down to remove her boots. He grumbled, always hating these boots as they were so difficult to untie when he was in a hurry. And, that caused a small giggle to slip from Cynthia up above.

Mick peeked a glance at her, finally getting one boot undone. She was rubbing at the tears in her eyes, her face a mix of thoroughly upset and somewhat amused by his failure. He held back a smile, eyes back on the boot to discard it and move to the other. He nearly ripped that one apart, but knew better than to mess with Cynthia’s stuff. Neither of them dared to do that. Not nearly as quickly did the second boot join its counterpart on the floor, the socks following, and her jeans shortly after. He crawled upwards, fingers teasing the band of her thong as he observed her face.

Cynthia’s auburn waves framing her beautifully, enticingly and he could tell she was fighting off the tears. He leaned down, and whispered, “Close your eyes. Just feel.” Rory pulled back to see if she listened, and wasn’t exactly disappointed to see that she hadn’t.

It wasn’t exactly in her nature to listen to him or Leonard. She was “their woman”, but they didn’t own her. She was an adult free to do what she wished. She just wished to do them both. Frequently. She also wished to take care of them, for some godforsaken reason. Not that they were complaining.

Suddenly, the healer’s face fell to a solemn level, and the erection Mick was fighting to keep was struggling to stay alive. He groaned, straddling her hips and scratching at the back of his scalp. His words came out through a rough snarl, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Talk,” Cynthia paused through a small hiccup. Her hands resting on his knees by her chest, “Talk to Leonard? Please? At least mention it to him, e-even if you’re against it. I don’t want to be in your way, but I-I don’t want to lose you two. Lose this.” Her blue eyes were glistening and another tear fell to hit the mattress after rolling down her cheekbone. “Please, don’t take this away from me. _Please_ , Mick.”

Heat Wave sighed. He’d be a liar if he said he didn’t understand it. He had his own ghosts that he couldn’t quite forget, but that was also a different story. It wasn’t anything like this. Even Leonard – with all his plans – didn’t expect how permanent Cynthia would be in their lives. At first she was just a runaway they stumbled upon, then she was someone who healed their scrapes and bruises when they really needed it, and then it went further the day that Cynthia proposed they take whatever it was they had to a physical level. Before they knew it twenty-three years went by and they became some sort of weird family unit that got each other off.

They ended up caring about her as a person and her wellness was a high priority which was one of the reasons they kept her away from the jobs. Sure, they taught her self-defense and how to slice a man open to bleed out, but that wasn’t the same as what he and Leonard did. Running around with their guns and nearly getting shot at wasn’t the same as defending yourself against a stalker or some drunk at a bar.

“Fine,” Mick nearly groaned. “I’ll bring it up to Leonard. I don’t promise anything will come of it, though.”

Those words alone were enough to bring a beaming smile to Cynthia’s face. She sat up, one hand grabbing the back of Mick’s neck to keep herself from falling back on the bed. She pressed her lips to his firmly with a hum which he returned with satisfaction. A hand of his reached around to hold her up, his palm bracing her lower back before he pushed forward so they were more parallel to the mattress. He pulled back, the spark back in his eyes when he noticed Cynthia’s had returned as well. She smiled softly at him, sincerely delighted by his response, and gently whispered, “Thank you.”

**-**


	5. How They Met

“If you don’t mind me asking, just how did you get involved with those two?”

Cynthia rose a brow at Jefferson as he approached her on the bridge. It had been an hour since they buried Carter, and Leonard was still a bit off after his failed attempt at changing his past. Mick was…well, he was probably in his room drinking. Cynthia, however, wanted to enjoy the evening sky through the large window on the bridge, arms crossed as she stared out in a near trance. Jefferson had broken that with his inquiry, and she turned her gaze towards him. He had been dragged into Leonard’s quest, and he had seen something that Cold wouldn’t have allowed anyone else to see on any normal circumstance. Mick had mentioned during that trip that they had grown up in the same area, and with the five to eight year age gap between the men and Cynthia – it was probably natural for someone to wonder just how they all stumbled upon each other.

“What do you mean?” the auburn-haired woman cocked her hip out as she looked the young man over. He hadn’t changed out of the clothes he wore to the burial; neither did she. Dark black jeans, a matching jacket with a navy blouse beneath, and her hair up and out of her eyes.

The young man shrugged, “I just mean…you didn’t grow up with them, like they did with each other, you know? And, I don’t know, you’re not a criminal like they are.”

The woman snorted, “You think I can’t do bad things?”

Another shrug, “To be fair, I don’t know much about you, but those two are wanted criminals and all I’ve seen so far is how you’ve been helpful at every opportunity you’re given. You’re just…not like them…”

Maybe it was because the boy seemed sincere, or maybe it was because she could use the distraction while _her_ boys were preoccupied, but something made her want to tell her story. She smiled at Jefferson, stepped closer to the wall to lean her spine against it and waved him over to join her. He did, almost hesitantly, but he stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his pants and kept his lips together as he focused his attention on her.

Cynthia inhaled softly, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and began.

* * *

 

_When Leonard found me, it was dark, and late, and it was raining. I was a teenage runaway. I don’t know what he was doing walking around at such a time, and I never asked. He tripped over my ankle, and I must have been so cold from the rain that I passed out against a dumpster. I don’t know why, but he took me back to his place. I faded in and out on the way there, barely registering what was going on and having no real memory of being moved. When I woke up I was surprised at first, but it didn’t last long._

_It was a strange feeling, but when I saw him standing there in the doorway with a plate and some toast in one hand and a glass of water in another I didn’t question it. In fact, I didn’t say anything, and neither did Leonard. I was sixteen at that time, and he was twenty-one. I ended up sick, and the entire week I was in bed we never said a word. I was feeling much better by the seventh day, but the eighth day was the first time we exchanged even a syllable. I think Leonard got into a fight – I never asked what happened when I saw it – and when he got home his lip was busted and his nose was bleeding. There was a slice on his cheek with some bruising, and his knuckles were scraped up and bleeding while covered in dirt._

_So, I approached him._

The clothes he found her in still weren’t washed. There was laundry about and she was wearing a large Guns N' Roses t-shirt that she didn’t believe was his. Her hair was short and it frizzed from the lack of proper care. Legs bare, he got her fresh underwear the second day she was in bed, but she remained braless. Cynthia spotted him near the front door as she leaned against the doorframe of his bedroom. He was peeking out through the blinds of the windows he constantly kept covered. He sighed, turning his head and was almost surprised to see her standing at all.

Leonard was leaning against the door, using it to support his weight on shaky legs. Her bare feet didn’t mind that the carpet was rough. She almost didn’t notice as she slowly advanced towards him, and she was surprised he stayed put. His cyan-like blue eyes kept with her glacial blue orbs. He didn’t even flinch when she entered his personal space and reached up gingerly to deliver the lightest pressure to his wounds. Her fingers were like ice against his heated face, dampened with sweat and blood. In merely a second, there was the softest glow that nearly escaped from the corner of Leonard’s vision.

Then, Cynthia’s fingers found his lip, and still their gazes stayed connected. She retracted her hands, leaving them uncomfortably at her sides balled up. He couldn’t feel the pain anymore, the soreness of his busted lip, or the throbbing of tissue between his flesh and cheekbones.

“Leonard Snart.”

_His voice surprised me. I almost didn’t expect what came out to match his face, but that thought quickly slipped my mind. My heart nearly stopped and I could feel a tingling sensation travel through my spine, to my chest, and back down to my toes._

“Cynthia Barber.”

_After that, it was evident to him that my reason for running away from home had something to do with my unnatural abilities. Leonard never pushed it, though. He took a nap, and I cleaned up the laundry. We later had a talk about whether or not I would be staying and what I could do to make up for it. We decided it would be a temporary fix. It was a week following that in which Mick came back. I hadn’t met him, yet, but Leonard said something about Mick being on a job once or twice before he made his return._

_Leonard never explained who Mick was or what his job was. It didn’t matter. To say the least, Mick was surprised to find me when he came home._

“Who’s the hot chick?” Mick inquired soon after stepping back into the shabby rental home.

“She’s sixteen, Mick,” Leonard informed his friend as he leaned against the back of the falling apart couch that barely separated the small living room from the tiny kitchen area.

The larger man pointed at her, “Ah, Jailbait.”

_That would be a nickname that he’d call me for a while._

“Cynthia Barber,” the younger man added. “She’s going to be staying with us for a while.” When Mick gave the other an unnerved expression, Leonard tacked on, “I’ll explain it better later.”

_I was surprised by how well things went after that. Between the three of us. After Mick returned, I thought that perhaps it would be expected of me to give them my body – despite any of Leonard’s insistence on my age – in return for staying there. I was prepared to give it to them, but I was assured that the only requirement for staying there was to keep it tidy. It was a little silly, really. Leonard kept the place nearly spotless when he was home, and even Mick was fine with doing his own laundry. I barely had to do anything at all, save for cooking._

_Neither of them was any good at that. I was barely any better, but at least it was edible in comparison to whatever they could throw together. Before me they mostly ate prepared meals from convenience stores or fast food. It didn’t take long for me to catch on that they weren’t ordinary individuals, either. I caught glimpses of their plans, and overheard a few of their conversations. Once or twice I was told to stay in one of the bedrooms while they had company over. I knew they were thieves, or possibly worse, but I didn’t care._

_Leonard took me in and Mick didn’t kick me out. I would heal them whenever they returned with scrapes and bruises. A burn here and there, and once or twice a gun wound. The gun wounds scared me. It came to me one day that I started to care about them. I started to worry about the day something happened, and they didn’t get to me in time for me to heal them. I started to fret over their safety, and I hated it._

_My temporary stay started to seem more permanent and nobody questioned it. Some days they remained home and weren’t working on a job so we’d watch a movie, play a card game, and laugh while enjoying each other. It felt like we were friends…like we were gradually becoming a family. Months passed, and I was even able to find out Mick’s birthday before we missed it and convinced the two to celebrate. It was nice. Cozy. Warm._

_After eight months with them, my own birthday came along. I was afraid to mention it to them, but at the same time I felt the need to express that I was closer to being an adult like them. To my surprise, the two came back after a job with a tub of half-melted ice cream. It was the best birthday of my life. It was a month after that, however, that our relationship took a turn. The two wanted to go out for drinks, and I insisted on joining them. I think it surprised them that I was emboldened by our bonding to truly push for what I wanted._

_The two of them agreed easily, and procured a fake I.D. for me. We stayed out late and the bar was interesting with the type of seedy people you would expect to be in there knowing what Leonard and Mick did for a living. I had seen worse at my parents’ old place, but I kept that to myself. Mick thrived, loving the atmosphere as he downed one drink after another. Leonard observed quietly, the music loud, and he sipped his alcohol slowly while keeping his eyes sharp. I didn’t drink much, either._

_I was more into the sweet alcohol, but the bartender seemed to not care for those types of drinks. I settled with one and half beers; the other half of the one was taken by Mick with no complaints from me. Halfway into the night, I felt the need to relieve myself, and that’s when things started to truly change for the three of us – interestingly enough. I slipped off on my own, not telling Leonard nor Mick where I was going. I didn’t think anything of it as I slithered through the mass of bodies. There was some arguing in the back corner and I was just happy the restrooms were far from that._

_Leonard and Mick made sure to warn me to stay away from anything like that while we were there that night. I listened, but I still ended up finding myself in trouble when a rough unfamiliar hand gripped my arm._

Cynthia’s head snapped to attention, eyes on the man who was gripping her bicep. He was smirking at her with dark eyes that sent a shock at her fight or flight reflexes. She would have gone with flight, but his hold was strong, and she would have screamed, but the music was loud and she didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention. For all she knew, the people around her would just join and then she’d be worse off.

“Hello there, pretty thing,” he loomed over her with the stink of alcohol on his breath. She winced and tried to step back, but he yanked her closer. Her shoulder throbbed subtly as he inched his grubby face closer. “You look a little young to be steppin’ in here. Not that I mind. I like them fresh.” His grip strengthened and Cynthia held back a whimper. For sure she was going to bruise later. “And, what a sexy little look you have.”

Cynthia wasn’t sure if he was talking about the fear that was probably growing into her features by then or her attire. Leonard had lent her some spending money to get more properly clothed. She bought a few modest pieces as well as a few for when she wanted to pretend she was a normal young woman who wanted to feel beautiful. Currently, she was in a violet skin-hugging skirt that didn’t even make it halfway down her thigh and a cosmic patterned bandeau. She wore black heeled boots that only reached to her ankles. Her hair had grown out to almost her shoulders so it sat up in a ponytail where a few strands slipped and framed her face. She had hoops in her ears that dangled, a thin golden ring on the index finger of her left hand, and her nails were painted a soft peach color.

She wasn’t quite fancy, but she was dressed up by all her standards and it was enough to make her happy. Until now.

“Why don’t we step outside?” he whispered into her ear, making her skin crawl in the process. She wasn’t sure what to do. Flight wasn’t working, so fight was her next call, but if she started to fight him it would be no different than screaming for help. They would notice she was vulnerable and who knows how many of these people would help, watch, or join in.

“Why go through all the trouble?”

Cynthia’s heart skipped as she heard that voice. Behind the man was Leonard, a glare in his eyes as the stranger turned to look at him. Without missing a beat Mick smashed a bottle over the drunk’s head, making him let go of her. Mick grabbed him by the back of the neck and proceeded to drag him out of the bar. Meanwhile, Leonard approached her, looking at her arm and scowling.

Sharp eyes met her gaze and he told her, “Next time don’t just walk off like that. Got it?”

That took Cynthia by surprise. She wanted to snap at Leonard. Tell him that he wasn’t the boss of her and that she didn’t need to report every second of her life to him. But, she didn’t. Instead her eyes fell silently with a twist of her lips that she tried to pretend wasn’t happening.

Leonard noticed. He sighed, his eyes sliding off to the side, “This isn’t a pleasant place. Just let us know next time and we can keep an eye on you even from afar. We’ll be able to intervene a lot faster.”

“Why don’t you guys just teach me how to fight?” she blurted over the music despite how close they were physically.

This surprised the young man whose lips gradually slid into a smirk, “I’ll think about it. How does that sound?”

Cynthia wasn’t sure what was going on in Leonard’s mind, but the smirk made her stomach twist. She shoved him in the shoulder before mentioning, “I’m going to the bathroom, so unless you want to follow me into the girls’ room…”

“I’ll follow you _to_ the room and wait outside.”

“Fair enough,” she nodded before taking his hand. Neither said a word nor looked to their intertwined fingers as she pushed through the crowd to the restroom. She released him, eyes fluttering up to him before she disappeared through the slimy and disgusting door.

**-**


	6. In Which Things Changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up. There is a scene that describes an almost-rape. Not in great detail, and it's not for long.

_That wasn’t what changed everything, though. That was just the beginning. The rest of the night went smoothly. Leonard walked me back to the bar where Mick was already downing another shot. We stayed there for another hour or so and we didn’t leave until a little after one in the morning. It was when we left that things escalated._

The three walked with a little bit of distance between them. Leonard and Mick on either side of Cynthia who was beaming with flushed cheeks. She wasn’t drunk, but she was buzzed and giddy from the more or less positive vibes she felt from the room that night. Mick was a tank who was more than pleased with his fill. Leonard still seemed stoic despite his few drinks. Was he just able to hold his alcohol or was he smart in letting it all drag out so long the way he did? They didn’t say much of anything, just Cynthia humming on the way home.

When they turned the corner, however, there was an ambush. The shithead from earlier was there and he brought five of his friends. Six to two were not the most favorable of odds, but Leonard and Mick had been in worse situations. Or, so they thought. They hadn’t factored in that Cynthia knew of some basic ways to defend herself, but while they were occupied with the other five guys trying to stab them and hit them with metal poles she was dealing with the douche from before. She dodged his attempts at grabbing her, kicking him in the stomach, the shins, the ankles, anything. He grabbed her by the wrist eventually and yanked her in so he was holding her by the waist with her back against his chest.

Cynthia struggled, trying to flail out of his grasp, but to no avail. She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth with one hand as he dragged her from the fight to behind a dumpster. Somehow she ended up on the ground despite her struggling. Face pressed into the harsh cement as he tried to bind her arms. Her legs tried to kick as much as she could, but he straddled her hips no matter how much she bucked. Apparently the asshole brought zip-ties and kept her wrists together behind her back. She tried to pull her arms free as she wiggled, then she gasped when she felt his hands on her hips.

He was gradually inching off her skirt and tears started to well in her eyes. Her mouth was free, but she wasn’t sure if she could scream. She was already feeling the embarrassment of him having gotten that far, and she didn’t know if she could give him the satisfaction of begging for help. Thankfully, it wouldn’t last long. Suddenly his weight was gone. She heard his grunts, but her body was frozen. She couldn’t get herself to turn around or even adjust her skirt back into its proper place.

Cynthia just sniffled softly as the fear was slowly dying in the pit of her stomach. A few tears were pushing out, and she let them fall as she heard bones crashing into each other in sickly crunches. Her eyes kept to the ground until she was abruptly picked up by her shoulders. She flinched, eyes wide as she trembled. She hadn’t even noticed the zip-ties’ absence as her hand went to smack at the person who was touching her, but it was Leonard and he caught her wrist. He held her close, letting her sob into his shoulder as her being quaked. She felt relief wash over her to the point it was painful and she couldn’t help but cry as the men who attacked them were littering the ground.

Mick was just punching the lights out of the last one who was struggling to stay up on his knees, letting his body drop with a loud thud that probably was going to result in a concussion. As she cried, she hadn’t noticed the scratches on their knuckles until Leonard was helping her with her skirt. She was hiccuping through her sniffling, and wordlessly she insisted on healing their wounds.

_I hadn’t been so scared in such a long time. The feeling of being so powerless twisted something in me, I believe. I couldn’t wait for Leonard and Mick to teach me how to defend myself. However, I also couldn’t wait to repay them. Especially Leonard who had been the one to rip the dirtbag off of me and give him what was owed. According to the newspaper the following day, he had been beaten within an inch of his life and left to die in his own pool of blood with half of his teeth missing. Leonard would mention that he wished he could have done more, but that was more than enough to me._

_As for the repayment, I decided that night when we got home, after a few hours of rest I would visit Leonard in his bedroom._

She had stolen one of Mick’s shirts, as it made for great sleepwear. Especially after being tipsy and a rough altercation in a backstreet. They had set up the office room as her bedroom, and while the darkness was still looming she quietly snuck through her door. Her feet were light as they tiptoed to Leonard’s door. She attempted to jiggle the handle and was happily relieved that it was unlocked. Softly it clicked open and thankfully it didn’t creak as she entered hesitantly. She stepped in, eyes widening at the half naked form that was sleeping atop the covers.

It was almost as if Leonard kicked off his shoes, tossed his shirt, and then passed out then and there. It’s probably really what happened. He was beautiful, with a few old scars on his flesh that caught her eye. She was almost saddened that she couldn’t heal them, but at the same time it was exciting as that meant there were stories to them that she would never know firsthand. They were real people that had their own pasts before they met her, and it was comforting to really know this. His breathing was soft. He didn’t snore, and his body seemed completely still.

By the time Cynthia shuffled to his side of the bed, her ankle cracked just right. His eyes shot open and his hand struck out to grab her arm. Her heart stopped as she sucked in a breath, and Leonard’s eyes went from shock, to realization, to annoyance, to exhaustion quickly. He groaned, releasing her and rubbing his face with both hands.

“What are you doing, Cyn?”

She loved it when they called her that. It somehow became her pet name. “Leonard…” her voice was soft and trembling.

Leonard noticed that. He rose up to lean against an elbow, he studied her and his hand gently gripped her wrist. His eyes noticed that the bruise from earlier was still on her arm. He was so used to her healing the two of them, and it was so rare for her to be injured that he forgot that one of her weaknesses was that she was unable to heal herself. He didn’t catch himself glaring at the bruise. At the memory of the man who dared to leave his mark on her. Maybe he should hunt that dick down, and Mick and he could have some fun burying him six feet under…alive.

“Leonard…”

He snapped out of it at the second call of his name on her lips. He looked to her, eyes meeting the best they could in the dark, “What is it? Something wrong?”

“…I…wanted to say ‘thank you’,” she whispered. “For saving me outside of the club…for…stopping him…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Snart sighed softly, as if a little relieved that nothing was actually wrong. “Nobody’s gonna lay a finger on you as long as we’re around.” He tenderly squeezed her wrist, “You should go back to bed. We’ll talk about self-defense classes or something later.” He glanced at his alarm clock, “We’ve only got a few hours before the sun comes up. You should rest. We had a long night.”

Biting her bottom lip, Cynthia stepped closer so she was right beside the bed. Leonard watched silently, observing her as she sat at the edge near his hips. He released her wrist and instead she grabbed his hand, “Leonard…do you want me?”

“Cyn,” despite the sleep that was still fogging up his brain, Leonard could tell where this was going. His tone was warning, but he didn’t retract his hand from her grip.

“I want to,” she insisted softly. “I know you and Mick have talked about it before. I’m an adult now, though. It’ll be okay, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It’s not,” Leonard’s voice twisted into a defensive agitation as he sat up properly, nearly yanking his hand from Cynthia’s.

The young woman couldn’t believe that, though. She crawled onto the bed, straddling his hips, but Leonard didn’t push her away. He sat still, back against the wall as his eyes avoided her. She gently gripped the sides of his face, fingers quivering as were her thighs. “I’m not a virgin,” she stated in a hushed tone. “I understand that love and sex are different. You two do so much for me and I do so little.” A thumb brushed gently over Leonard’s bottom lip, “If you tell me that you’ve never thought of having me, I’ll leave. I’ll go to my bedroom like nothing happened. But, if you tell me that you want it, I won’t take it back.” His eyes flickered upwards to look at her finally. Her heart nearly stopped, her face inching closer to his as her voice grew quieter, “Do you want me, Leonard?”

It might have been two whole heartbeats before Leonard Snart gave in. His large hands mirrored hers to be on either side of her face. He pulled her in to fully press her lips to his and soon one hand became an arm that slithered around her waist to pull her close. Her free breasts pressed against his thick chest and she sighed as her core met his clothed bulge. Her hands slid against the back of his neck, into his hair, and along his shoulders. His skin was chilled from the night air, but beneath that was a burning heat that had her palms humming.

“Sit up,” Leonard’s voice was husky, half-croaking and dry as he parted for air. His lips brushed Cynthia’s as he spoke and his hands found her sides, rubbing them firmly. Cynthia didn’t fight it. Her nails dragged against the stubble on his jaw as she lifted up on her knees. Leonard’s mouth heatedly massaged the front of her neck. Wet and warm, he applied suction while using one hand to undo the front of his jeans. He fumbled a little, one hand on her thigh to slide up the smooth skin to under her shirt.

As his hand rose higher, he settled it on her hip with an almost startling revelation: Cynthia was bare beneath her top. She was being serious when she said she wanted this.

“How long?” Leonard inquired, breath hitting beneath her chin. He sighed as he finally freed his lower half, the hand on her hip didn’t stay long as his fingers dragged to her stomach, then upwards to between her breasts.

Understanding his gesture more than his question, Cynthia balanced herself the best she could on trembling knees while carefully pulling Mick’s shirt off over her head. She dropped it beside Leonard’s legs on the bed, her eyes becoming half-lidded as his mouth trailed down her chest. The noises he made between each brush of his lips against her skin had her weak. She gripped his shoulders to keep herself up and she nearly purred when his nails found their way to her back to tease her spine.

“How long since your last time?” he pushed, not patient enough to wait all night for Cynthia to figure it out and give him an answer.

She licked her lips, “A year…maybe…”

Leonard cursed under his breath. She wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing, but then she felt his hand return to her hip. The pressure that was there told her to lower herself, and she did. Gradually she fell and she gasped as she felt the hot head of his member against her folds. “Tell me if it hurts,” she barely heard the words from his whisper, and then she winced. A small whimper slipped through from her throat as the head pushed through. He stilled, “Cyn?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. Her face buried into his the crook of his neck where she could feel his racing pulse. Her jaw dropped as she slid down his length, opening for his girth until she was nicely settled in his lap. She knew it hadn’t been nearly as long for Leonard as it had been for her. She’d seen him come out of rooms disheveled after being alone or sneaking off with a woman. It wasn’t frequent, but it happened often enough that it wasn’t a surprise. With such a high-stress job it was no wonder he needed the release when he could get it. They were never relationships, though. Those women never got to see inside this place, nor did they get to see his sleeping face, or make him breakfast. “I’m fine. I-I can do the rest.”

His hands found purchase on her thighs, gently gripping them while he leaned his neck to kiss along her shoulder. His teeth occasionally nipping at her flesh, and in between one bite he groaned softly as she rose. It was all slow at first. The two of them sat there with their foreheads resting on each other’s shoulder as Cynthia slowly rose and lowered her hips, trying to get her body used to the motion once again. When she started going a little faster, the bed began to shake and creak. It hit her ears, making her heart race. Leonard pulled back just enough to relocate his mouth on a breast.

They were small, but that wasn’t a complaint. Cynthia sighed as her nails scratched at his scalp tenderly, enjoying the feel of his hair beneath them. It was almost comforting.

“Tell me when you’re close,” the young woman requested, knowing full well that she had rarely to never had a climax during sex. This was about Leonard. Or, at least, that’s what she was aiming for. She didn’t expect it when there were fingers suddenly prodding at the hood of her clitoris. Her toes curled as she squeaked and he moaned softly from the fluttering of her walls. “What are you doing?” she inquired in a gasp, hips stilling as her brain registered the way his nimble fingers encouraged the bud to appear and stand for attention.

Leonard’s lips detached from Cynthia’s skin. He held her up with a strong hand on her hip as he rolled his pelvis slowly. His erection sliding in and out shallowly while his fingers circulated; gradually in a faster rotation with almost every full circle. Cynthia choked on a blissful cry. Her arms were suddenly around his neck as she hid her face beneath his jaw. Her body was trembling as his thrusts grew faster. She was whimpering in his ear, he could hear his name slipping from her lips, and growled.

Suddenly, Cynthia was on her back, but she was still locked with Leonard as she had been. Her gasps growing in volume as the criminal worked in and out of her. His fingers still on pampering her clitoris while the hand that was on her hip now became rooted atop the bed covers for stability. Cynthia’s legs were wrapped around his lower back and her spine curved as his did while her climax was growing and growing. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades, and he cursed as she half-screamed the syllables of his name. Then, she silenced save for a sob and he felt the spasming of her insides squeeze him tightly. His hips kept working until nearly thirty seconds later he stilled above her.

A rough groan escaped from the deep of his throat as his forehead hit the mattress beside the young woman’s skull. Then, they were locked there. For maybe a minute or two the room was full of their breathing and body heat. The sweat on their skin cooling their raised temperatures.

_I don’t remember much of what happened after that. I guess you could say we were lucky as we didn’t use a condom and I hadn’t been on birth control. It was just so sudden for Leonard and I hadn’t thought it through. Though, Leonard did have a stash in his drawers. I did end up sleeping there with Leonard. We didn’t cuddle or anything like that, but he wanted to make sure I was fine, I think. He gave me back my shirt and we closed our eyes._

_When I woke up, Leonard was gone. I stepped out of the bedroom, sore and aching, but somehow still refreshed. It was a relief that I found him in the kitchen preparing the coffee, and when he turned around and caught me staring I couldn’t help but smile at him. Thankfully, he smiled back. I had been so afraid that he would distance himself from me._

Leonard had thrown a tank on before leaving the bedroom, but he was still wearing the same jeans he had been in when he slept with her earlier that night. It was almost eight and the sun was peeking through the blinds. Cynthia walked over, a bit stiff, and with a tender smile on her lips. When she made it to the kitchen, she crossed her arms almost protectively as her eyes looked him over. Her fingers twitched as they remembered the feel of his muscles beneath them.

“I’ll make breakfast,” she insisted softly while the coffee maker bubbled noisily in its brewing.

“You should put something on first,” Leonard hummed as he gestured to her outfit. “Underneath. Before Mick wakes up.”

Cynthia shrugged, “Maybe I’m okay with him seeing.”

Leonard rose a brow, but he didn’t push it. He wasn’t going to tell her what to do. They didn’t own her. Without another word, Cynthia began to work around him to prepare their morning meal.

_It was probably a half hour later that Mick joined us in the kitchen area. It was small and the table looked like it would give in with just the right hit to it. It held up for maybe a year after before we had to change residence. Leonard was already sipping his coffee at the table while looking over some papers; I think they were for work as I wasn’t supposed to see them. If I knew about the details of their jobs and the police questioned me, they wanted me to stay as clean as possible so even if they did end up in cuffs they could have someone on the outside waiting for them. Anyway, Mick came in and took a seat opposite of Leonard._

Before Mick could say anything, Cynthia approached with a mug of coffee and placed it in front of the large man. He picked it up, sipped it, and smiled. She was quick to learn how he liked it and he never had to complain.

“Pancakes okay with you, Mick?” she inquired softly with a hum.

Being opposite of Leonard meant that Mick Rory got to see the backside of Cynthia. His dark eyes hungrily looking her over and his brows quirked when he noticed something a little…interesting. He wouldn’t address it, though. The fact that she wasn’t wearing a damn thing under his shirt. Then, he noticed that his partner was staring at him with his usual “don’t pull any bullshit” stare. The two agreed that Cynthia would be off limits. Originally it was due to her being a minor, then it was due to her presence being temporary, but now…now it seemed pointless.

The excuses were gone. She was part of the team, now. He didn’t see any need to worry about a physical fling with the young woman. She was seventeen, an adult.

“Mick?”

She turned around and Mick nearly melted at the sight of her pebbled nipples showing through his shirt. He smiled, “Give me what you got, baby.”

Cynthia rolled her eyes playfully before turning back around, “Good, because I’m almost done with a huge stack for all of us to share.”

“Any specific kind?”

“I thought I’d add some blueberries.”

“Good enough for me.”

“Same here,” Leonard murmured into his cup, eyes scanning the files he had spread like a deck of cards as he held the mug in a way to avoid any drips landing on his important documents.

Mick took another long sip of his beverage before he noticed something that felt…off. Despite her chipper morning attitude, Cynthia seemed a bit stiff. The way she was holding herself and her movements were so robotic and unusual to Mick as he’d never seen anything like it. Leonard, too, wasn’t his usual self this morning. It wasn’t anything that really stood out. He was still quiet, sipping his coffee, and looking over plans. It was more of what he was wearing; his tank to be exact.

A tank wasn’t a common item of clothing on the younger man, but it was usually worn with purpose. Leonard Snart was almost as much of a sexual being as Mick Rory was, but his only complaint was the body heat. Even the morning after he would claim to feel it on his skin until he took a cool shower, so if he was busy before that shower he would be seen in a tank so his flesh wouldn’t get overheated. So, now he was wearing a tank and he knew there wasn’t a broad that Snart brought home the night before since no one was in the mood to get laid after that shithead organized that ambush. Or…were they…? It was first thing in the morning for Mick and the coffee was only gradually getting to his system as the wheels turned over and over. Cynthia was stiff and Leonard was wearing a tank.

“Bastard.”

Leonard glanced up at the harsh whisper to be met with Mick narrowing his eyes at him. Damn, he figured it out. That was a lot quicker than Leonard was expecting. He returned the narrow-eyed gaze and shook his head minutely, “Drop it Mick. It’s none of your business.”

“Bullshit,” the older man growled softly as he leaned across the table. “ _You_ insisted on that rule and then _you_ broke it. It _is_ my business.”

“We’re not discussing this,” Leonard’s tone was strict. “Not here, not now.”

Fingers curled tightly around the handle of Mick’s mug, “That restriction’s gone. You got your turn, and now I – ”

“Want a taste?”

Both men blinked up over Leonard’s shoulder as Cynthia held the plate full of pancakes. She was smiling at the two of them that made them both feel even the smallest hint of guilt.

Mick’s jaw fell for a moment as he tried to figure out how to respond. His expression morphing into some semblance of confusion and wariness, “Uh, the pancakes?”

“No, well, yeah,” Cynthia nearly rolled her eyes as she sighed and placed the plate in the center of the table. “But, no.” Her eyes flickered to Leonard before meeting with Mick’s, “I mean, you guys know I’m not too far from the table. I can hear you.” Both men remained silent, Leonard even taking another sip of his coffee as he pretended to scrutinize his files. “It’s true. Leonard and I were…intimate last night. I was the one who pushed it, but that’s not to say that I don’t want to have sex with you,” she crossed her arms, seeming oddly shy for somebody who was walking in just a t-shirt that would result in her flashing someone had she decided to sit down in front of them. “I mean it, Mick, if you want to have a go I’m up for it. I just ask that you give me some time to feel better? It’s been a while since I’ve done it, so I’m still sore from earlier. Maybe we can give it a go tonight or tomorrow?”

Mick’s eyes gave a quick side-glance to Leonard who caught it and silently shrugged at him. Seeing that there wasn’t going to be any squabbling, Rory grinned, “I’d like that.”

“Great!” Cynthia’s timid air dissipated and she walked back to the cupboards to pull out three plates, the drawers for forks, and she returned with one of each for the three of them. She sat down between them and continued with her devilishly satisfied smile as she transferred two pancakes from the stack to her own personal plate. “So, I have a proposal.”

The two men looked at each other once more before Leonard responded with, “Go on.”

“I think we should sleep together. The three of us,” she took a bite. “I don’t mean all at once, but I’d be up for that, too. Just, whenever we have that urge, we can come to each other and have a go, you know? No emotional strings, no relationships.” She swallowed and her voice softened, “I trust you guys. It might sound crazy, but after everything that’s happened since I met you two that’s all I can come up with. I have urges. You have urges. Let’s satisfy them together.” The young woman rose a nearly daring brow as she looked between the two of them, “Sound like a deal?”

* * *

 

_“Miss Arnold.”_

Cynthia paused in her story, eyes shooting up as Gideon called to her. “Yes?”

_“Mr. Snart is requesting that you visit his quarters as soon as possible.”_

The woman smirked. She turned a glance towards Jackson, who was noticeably uncomfortable to what that statement meant. He didn’t need a detective to tell him before he talked to Cynthia about her past with the two criminals, but now that he knew? It was even more vivid in his mind. Somehow. She chuckled softly, patting his shoulder and pecking his cheek before she stepped away. She gave a small wave over her shoulder, a twiddle of her fingers, and a sway of her hips as she started off for Leonard’s room. She knew he had some steam to blow off. She had some, too.

**-**


	7. All She Wanted

“This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say I need to be out there,” Cynthia nearly snapped at both Leonard and Mick outside of the medbay. She had just healed Jefferson and the young man was resting. He, Mick, Rip, and Stein had returned to the ship after a confrontation with Rip’s old boss and Chronos. It was safe to say that the group wasn’t going to be left alone any time soon, and that they definitely had targets on their backs.

“If I had been out there,” she continued, “I could have-”

“Died,” Snart’s face was showing he wasn’t having any of this. “Like you said, Cyn, the stakes are higher which means even more than before you can’t be setting a single foot out there.”

“Mick,” the woman looked to the silent man, hoping he’d help her.

Rory simply shook his head, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Ice blue eyes widened in surprise, “What?”

“I told you before: I’d mention it to Snart, but I wasn’t gonna fight for you. Not about this.”

Lips pursed together, Cynthia’s jaw tensed. “Fine. If that’s how you two want to be. I don’t care. I’m going out the next time,” she pushed pass the both of them, “whether you like it or not.”

“Cynthia,” Leonard gripped her arm and twisted her to have her face him, “we’re a team. We decide like one.”

“Well, you two sure aren’t acting like we’re a team,” she jerked back her arm. “I’m a grown woman. You two taught me how to fight with and without weapons, but you still want to act like you’re in charge of me. I’m not sixteen anymore. I haven’t been for a very long time, and honestly? I made a mistake. I let this behavior go on for too long.”

Neither of the men said anything, and they remained silent even as Cynthia turned on her heel and went on her way down the hall.

Leonard sighed, head falling back for a second before he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Mick looked to him, then place a gloved hand on his shoulder, “I got it this time.”

* * *

 

Outside of a door, Mick Rory stood in the middle of the hallway. He leaned his shoulder against the metallic frame, his voice its usual roughness, “Cyn.”

“Go away, Mick!”

“Not gonna.”

“Mick!”

“It’s my room, Cyn.”

There was a pause. She technically didn’t have a room of her own. She always shared with either Leonard or Mick. She just went to his, because it was closer. “I’m commandeering it!” she hollered back.

“And, what the hell am I supposed to do with you locking me out of my room?”

“Maybe _you_ should go to Leonard’s room and sleep with him for once!”

Mick inhaled deeply, fingers rubbing at his forehead. His lips twisted into a scowl, “You know, for a grown woman you’re acting like a child. It’s getting on my nerves.”

The door split open almost instantly, and an aggravated Cynthia stepped out, “Do you know what gets on _my_ nerves? Being _treated_ like a child.”

Cynthia’s heated gaze met with Mick’s. They were silent for a moment, before the criminal shrugged, “You want to go out there? Fine. Be my guest. We can’t stop you.”

Auburn brows furrowed, “What, so, you’re just taking my side now?”

“We’ve both been on your side,” Heat Wave bit back. “That’s why we’ve been wanting you out of the way. You want to protect us? Fine. We’re a team. We have each other’s backs. We’re just trying to do the same thing for you. If you step out there, we won’t be able to keep an eye on you. We’re gonna be focused on the mission. So, if you end up getting nailed-”

“Then, I’ll take care of it,” she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, closer to Mick. “You guys taught me how to take care of myself when you aren’t around. You don’t need to be keeping an eye on me every second of the day. I’ll be _fine_.”

Mick heaved another sigh, “Can I get my room back now?”

“Sure,” the woman gave a small smile, “but we’re not having sex.” When Rory rose a brow, she snorted, “Please, don’t tell me you weren’t thinking that you’d calm me down by having some rough angry sex.”

“Would you settle for just rough, then?” he smiled cheekily, and Cynthia playfully rolled her eyes.

“Not right now,” she insisted. She stepped out of the room, “I want to make sure I can walk the next time we go out into the field, and something tells me that’s going to be soon.”

Mick didn’t hesitate for a new offer, “After?”

“That sounds better,” she walked up to him, placing her hands on his chest. “We’ll celebrate,” she pecked his lips sweetly, “ _Really_ celebrate.”

At this, Heat Wave smirked, “I look forward to it.”

* * *

 

When Cynthia found out that she was going to be on the backup team with Mick, she was a little upset. At least, at first. She had gotten what she wanted; a chance to be on the field in case someone needed healing fast. She wanted to be on the front line with Leonard, but she supposed if she was going to be in the back lagging behind with Mick she shouldn’t complain. She was still on the field, but now she could test the waters a little better than if she was upfront with the rest of them. It made sense. So, she bit her tongue and went with it.

However, things got a little dicey. Stein got taken, the core left on the floor in its container, Leonard had a gun to the back of his head…Mick jumped in. With a gun in her hand, Cynthia followed. Bullets went flying, the cold gun and heat gun whirring wildly, and then Mick was hit. A bullet through his left shoulder.

“Mick!” Cynthia screamed. She shot a twice before rushing over to him, but it was too late. There were too many of them. Three men came from around the corner. Mick was still injured, but he was fighting off two of them. Cynthia had gotten too close to escape the grasp of the third one.

Rip’s command came through. They had to get to the core. Leonard had to get to the core. Mick was still fighting, and by the time Cynthia had knocked down one of the Russian soldiers more came upon them. They were outnumbered, but they kept fighting.

“Get the hell out of here!” Mick shouted to Leonard. “What are you waiting for?! Go!” He took a punch, but he was still standing.

“Go!” Cynthia shouted after landing a punch to one of the men’s jaws.

Leonard went to fetch the thermocore with his open window. In the end, he was the only one to make it out. Cynthia, Mick, Ray, and Stein were taken.

* * *

 

“I’m surprised by how calm you were when those men separated us from Cynthia,” Ray murmured as he watched Rory inspect their small cell.

“She’s a big girl,” Mick grumbled. “She can take care of herself.”

The physicist shrugged, “You and Snart are always worrying about her, so I thought…”

“Well, don’t,” he snarled, turning his back and looking the other man in the eye. “If any of these bastards think one of us is important to the other that’s going to put a target on that one’s back, got it? So, if you really want to help, keep your mouth shut. Got it?”

Ray hadn’t considered that. It made sense that someone like Mick Rory – a criminal – would be familiar with this way of thinking. He kept silent, and nodded. If that’s what he had to do to keep Cynthia from being even more on their radar than any of them were, then he’d try his best.

* * *

 

Cynthia had lucked out. She was put in a different section of barracks, but she was in her own cell. At least, for now. She had never been in jail or prison. She would hear stories from Mick and Leonard, though. She knew what she’d have to do to make it out of here alive. At least, she hoped she did. She sighed, sitting on one of the beds. Leonard was probably going to use this as a reason she should never leave the ship again. She touched the side of her mouth and winced. There was a nice cut, tender, and it was starting to bruise. She looked at her hands where her knuckles were scraped and the blood had dried on the way there. She was going to have to be careful. If Savage’s men found out she could heal people…

“Damn it…”

* * *

 

She was able to see Mick and Ray when they were released out into the courtyard. They were further up in the line for food. Her heart was racing. She wanted to join them, but she knew better. She was taught better. There weren’t many other women around. It was terrible how she wasn’t surprised that they allowed both sexes to mingle.

Cynthia was sure she knew what that meant. The things these women had to endure. She wondered if more women had been in here. How many of them left in body bags. How many of them left that way by their own choosing. Before she realized it, she was up next for food. The man looked at her, as if surprised to see her presence within these walls.

She said nothing to him, made no smile or anything else, and he slapped the filthy meal on her plate. She stepped aside, and her eyes widened. Ray was getting the shit beat out of him by a much larger man. Mick was standing by, doing nothing but watching the flame of a lighter he must have filched. She wanted to help. Her bones ached for her to move, but she knew it would make things worse. She didn’t even approach Mick.

Instead, Cynthia walked to a far off corner, hopefully to be undisturbed for the remainder of their time under the sun.

* * *

 

“Come with me,” the voice was harsh, but the grip on her arms was harsher. She was dragged to her feet from the bed she was trying to rest in that night. Shoved out of her cell and down the hall. She was marched throughout the campus, and she did her best to keep her expressions under control. She couldn’t let them know she was worried. That’s something Leonard and Mick instilled in her. She’d have to make it work.

They finally stopped in another dingy part of the camp. A small room with that bastard who Mick threatened sneering at her. He grabbed her face, the flesh on the inside of her cheeks scraping against her teeth.

“Just looking at you I can tell you’re an American whore,” he spat. “You’ve been lucky so far. The only reason we haven’t forced your legs open is because Mr. Savage has instructed us not to harm a hair on your head.” His lips curled into an even further sadistic grin, “Until now.”

Cynthia couldn’t stop the way her eyes widened. Her heart filling her ears as the worst quickly flooded her mind. What were they going to do to her? She didn’t have much time to wonder. The uniform shirt she had been forced to wear was yanked off her torso, and her wrists were cuffed to chains that reached the ceiling. Thankfully, her pants weren’t removed, and they were “kind” enough to allow her brassiere to remain on her chest. There was a switchboard of some sort, and the wires connected to it were taped to her abdomen.

The lights turned on, and she could see her reflection in a mirror. She wondered why, and then she remembered something Leonard and Mick mentioned to her about one-way glass. There was no warning to the first shock. She groaned, eyes clenching and her head throwing back. Thankfully it last for only a second, but she couldn’t help the fact that she was already gasping for breath. Her peace wasn’t for long. A second shot of electricity zapped into her bones, her muscles, everything.

It went on for much longer, and Cynthia couldn’t stop the screams that filled the room. They hadn’t asked a damn thing, so only for a brief moment when it finally stopped did she think that perhaps Stein was on the other side. It couldn’t have been Mick or Ray. There was nothing the two of them knew that could be helpful to Savage. Not the same way Stein’s knowledge could be, anyway. A third round of volts claimed her once more. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

When the fourth flip of the switch came, Cynthia briefly wondered if she was going to die. She’d never experienced a pain like this. There were much more physically trying pains that she endured growing up, but for decades she hadn’t had to deal with them. She’d been spoiled by her boys, and now while this wasn’t the worst pain she’d ever felt, it was definitely one of the most stressful. Finally, it seemed as though the switchboard was going to be left alone. However, it only meant that this dickhead that Mick had established a vendetta with moved onto something else. He circled around her, and she noticed the rubber truncheon in his hand.

The woman’s body shivered in disgust as his nails dragged across the skin of her stomach. When he made his way behind her, he only waited a second before the first hit made its mark. On the left of her back, below the shoulder blade. She screamed. Then, again, and again, and again. Several more times as he hit her spine and the area around it. She was surely bruising.

Then, it stopped. She hung there, unable to stop the tears, but she refused to sob. They dripped down onto the filthy floor along with her sweat. If she was bleeding, she couldn’t tell. All she could feel was her skin buzzing. They weren’t gentle as they got her down. She fell limp in their arms, and they tossed her shirt back onto her.

She hoped this would be the end of it. At least for today. She hoped that as they walked her back to her cell with two men propping her up, she would be left alone to sleep. To her relief, as they turned a corner, she saw a man dear to her. At first she thought it was a hallucination, but it wasn’t. Leonard had come for them. Had come for her.

The tears slipped from Cynthia’s eyes once more, and a quiet choking sob escaped her, but she held the rest back in. She’d be safe soon.

* * *

 

Cynthia couldn’t have told you how long she was in her cell before it happened. Before the door opened and she looked up with weary eyes. She smiled, the tears running once more after they had finally dried. “Leonard,” she croaked.

“Hey,” he sat down at the edge of her bed, a gentle smile on his lips.

“Mick and Ray,” she sighed, eyes closing as the pain was taking over her body.

“I got them out,” he moved a strand of hair from her forehead. “They’re heading to the Waverider. Come on, we’re getting out of here.”

A sharp inhale hit her and she shook her head, “I don’t think I can move.”

“Don’t worry,” Snart was quick to his feet. He carefully slipped his arms beneath her shoulders and knees, “I got ya.” As soon as she was cradled in his arms, he placed a kiss to the top of her scalp. “I got ya,” he repeated; words hushed, but much colder.

* * *

 

“You get what we mean now?”

The auburn haired woman looked up from her seat in Rip’s office. There was music – something old playing – and everyone was toasting. Mick was handing her a drink, and she took it with a silent nod. She glanced over to see Leonard sitting further from her with his own glass in hand. “Do you think he’ll forgive me?”

Mick rose a brow, then looked over to his partner in crime. He shrugged, “We put a beat down on that Comrade Colonel guy. I think he’s fine.”

She took a sip, eyes down and for the first time in a long while she felt like a child, again. The back of her head was surprisingly cradled by Mick’s large palm, and his lips found a place atop her head. Oddly enough, Cynthia was surprised, but she sighed in relief. She could relax now. She didn’t have to worry anymore.

“Rest up,” Mick murmured. “We’ve got some celebratin’ to do later.”

The woman snorted, smile turning up at the pyro-specialist. She did promise him that days before, hadn’t she? “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I didn’t forget.”

“Good,” Rory huffed, took another swig of his drink, then walked away to stand beside Leonard. The two exchanged a bob of the head, and remained silent as they took in the atmosphere.

Cynthia wanted to join them. She did. She knew Leonard wasn’t mad at her, per say. However, after everything that happened…Thankfully he hadn’t badgered her about helping out in the field. It might wait until tomorrow. She sighed, eyes closing as she relaxed into her seat. Maybe if she was lucky they wouldn’t mind _just_ sleeping with her. Being in between them as they slept sounded so good at that moment. She needed that comfort.

And, then, the ship quaked.

**\- TBC**


End file.
